Xabi Alonso Appointed Chelsea Manager for 2026/27 Season After Real Madrid spell

Xabi Alonso will take over as Chelsea manager for the start of the 2026/27 season. The Spaniard had already signed for Chelsea by the time Liverpool replaced Arne Slot with Andoni Iraola. Alonso had been strongly linked with the Liverpool job.

He used to play for Liverpool during his playing career. Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup prior to the 2025/26 season. The team then went through three different managers during that campaign and finished 10th in the Premier League table.

Alonso coached Real Madrid as of January 2026. He reacted during the Spanish Super Cup final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah on January 11, 2026. At Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga title, Alonso used a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Forbes reported that this system might suit Chelsea’s existing wing backs. Chelsea has spent heavily in the transfer market in recent seasons without a coherent strategy. The club signed players without clear plans for their use and hired managers without giving them the platform to succeed.

Alonso’s biggest challenge will be overhauling the culture at Stamford Bridge. Forbes reported that Chelsea’s transfer model has created the perception that the club is a stepping stone to a higher level. Forbes reported that Chelsea has wasted time and money over the last few seasons.

The publication noted that players join Chelsea to earn an opportunity to win things rather than to win things immediately. In Alonso, Chelsea has secured an elite-level manager with a point to prove after the way things ended for him at Real Madrid, Forbes reported.